Shoeshine

6/19/2025

A shoeshiner (Jerry Stiller) aboard the Staten Island ferry discovers a city-type (Ben Stiller) snoozing and in need of his shoes polishing. Whilst he is buffing the leather, the two strike up a conversation that starts off more generically but then focuses more on what three things might make a man a success. Hard work, a good suit and… When it comes to settling the tab, well there is a little twist for us. It’s a fun look at the amateur philosophising that many of us can associate from a barber, a cabbie or a barman that mixes generalisations with profundities in an engaging fashion whilst, in this case, reminding us all about acorns and humble beginnings. I wonder how many of us watching had dads who put the lampshade on their heads?